


It started with a Fish Tank

by ReluctantHero



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward Eren Yeager, Awkward Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Child Annie Leonhart, Child Isabel Magnolia, Child Mikasa Ackerman, Dorks in Love, First Dates, Isabel and Eren are Related, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Mikasa Ackerman & Levi Are Related, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sexual Content, Shy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Single Parent Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Valentine's Ereri, Waiter Eren Yeager, it's cute it's fluffy it's ereri, valentine's day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 14:54:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13683954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantHero/pseuds/ReluctantHero
Summary: Single Father Levi enjoys taking his daughter, Mikasa to her favorite restaurant. The food is good, the prices reasonable, there's a giant fish tank, not to mention the gorgeous server with the bright green eyes and legs for days.





	It started with a Fish Tank

**Author's Note:**

> Heyy guys.
> 
> Turns out I like doing event themed fics.
> 
> Here's a little Valentine's day one I've been working on, I hope you like it!

Levi rushed around his office with a stack of papers in his arms.

"Erwin, I need these cheques signed A-sap. The top three are overdue because purchasing had two for fucking ever and I sent three emails before I even got the third one! I only just got Nile's fucking expense claim for the company Visa so that's behind schedule." He said without even a breath, dropping the stack on Erwin's desk.

"Aren't you supposed to be off at 4:30? Where's Mikasa?" Erwin asked.

"Shit!" Levi said looking at his watch. "Okay, I'm going. Sign those cheques so I can send them out in the morning. Please." He said.

"I will. Go!" Erwin demanded with a grin as Levi rushed out, shutting down his computer and grabbing his coat and heading toward the front desk.

"I'm so sorry." He said, pulling on his coat.

"You're late." The nine year old said flatly.

"I know, I got caught up." Levi said.

"It's 5:45." Mikasa said, her voice still monotone, sometimes she was too much like him.

"I know." Levi said.

"You're supposed to get off at 4:30" Mikasa said.

"I know, I'm sorry." Levi groaned.

"I'm hungry." She said.

"Mikasa please!" Levi said, looking to Petra for help, ignoring the grin and stifled laugh from his strawberry blond friend.

"How about we go out for supper?" He suggested and watched Mikasa's uninterested eyes light up with excitement.

"Can we get Safari buddies?" She asked with a grin, she adored the jungle animal shaped chicken nuggets.

"Of course." Levi smiled as Mikasa popped up from her chair and packed up her bag.

"Thanks for helping me with my homework Petra." Mikasa said, leaning over to give her a hug.

"Any time babe. Probably get your dad to help with the math though. He's a lot better at that than I am." Petra smiled, helping Mikasa put on her bookbag before the young girl followed her father out the door.

They climbed into Levi's car and made their way to Mikasa's favorite restaurant.

The restaurant was jungle themed; the walls were decorated like Tiki huts, there was Tarzan paraphernalia everywhere, the menu had items like Bongo Burgers and Monkey Fingers, and the wait staff dressed in khaki shorts and colorful t-shirts.

"Why do you even like this place?" Levi asked, leading Mikasa inside. 

She was so conservative, rarely enjoying such novelty things or getting excited over things; sometimes Levi worried that he had too much of an effect on her.

She really liked this place, which worked out well since the food was good and decently priced. Levi had to hold on to those facts for a long time before warming up to the place, but if his daughter liked it then he was happy to go there.

Not to mention the beautiful young man in the short shorts that had been working there for about a year and a half, who just rushed towards the kitchen.

"Like you don't." Mikasa scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Levi snapped out of his trance, trying not to blush as he glanced at his daughter, maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought.

"Right this way please." The young blond man said, grabbing two menus and leading them toward an empty table.  Levi, in his paranoia was sure he saw the man smirk but tried to ignore it to salvage his dignity.

 

"Dad, can I go see the fish?" Mikasa asked, pulling on Levi's arm and looking over to the large fish tank on the other side of the section.

"Sure. I'll order you some Jungle Juice?" Levi asked.

"Please." Mikasa smiled before skipping over towards the fish tank, it was one of her favorite parts of the restaurant and Levi loved the smile it always gave her to look at the exotic fish.

He shifted off his jacket as he slid into the booth, smiling at the blond before he turned to leave and they heard a crash. Levi eyes flew across the room to find Mikasa being held close by the beautiful waiter, broken dishes and food on the floor around them.

"Mikasa!" Levi yelled, running towards them, and pulling Mikasa towards him. "Are you okay?" He asked as tears streamed down her face.

"Oh my god!" The waiter shouted, Levi waited for the inevitable screaming and blaming, though was completely surprised when he fell to his knees on the floor beside them.

"Are you okay Princess? Did you get any coffee on you?" He asked, looking her over frantically.

"No, I think you got her out of the way." Levi said

"I'm sorry." Mikasa sobbed quietly.

"Oh no! Princess, it's not your fault. Silly me, I wasn't watching where I was going." The waiter said with a big smile.

Mikasa nodded before scurrying towards their booth.

"I'm very sorry, I can pay for this." Levi said, bending down to help pick up the broken dishes.

"No, no! It was an accident, as long as she didn't get hurt. Now you go back to your table before you cut yourself, I got this and I'll be right over to serve you." He said, smiling as Levi looked up into his eyes.

"Okay. Thank you." Levi said, willing himself not to blush under the stare of those intense green eyes before heading back to the table where Mikasa sat quietly with her head down. She hadn't taken out the crayons, she hadn't put on her Tiki mask menu for a laugh, she hadn't even picked out what she wanted to eat.

"Mika, don't be upset, you're not in trouble." Levi said reaching across the table and taking his daughter.

"I didn't mean to make him drop everything. I wasn't looking, they had new fish. I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It was an accident. Luckily you ran into a very nice man who is not mad at you, besides you know if anyone was mean to you I'd knock them out." Levi smirked.

"He's bigger than you." Mikasa said, looking up at him with a sly grin.

"Do you think that's going to stop me? Everyone is bigger than me." Levi scoffed, making Mikasa giggle quietly.

"Oh good, looks like someone is feeling better." The green eyed waiter grinned, coming up to their table wearing a clean new shirt (substantially tighter than the one he had been wearing before)

Mikasa's smile dropped from her face and she looked back down at her lap.

"Oh no! Don't be sad!" He said, kneeling down beside the booth to look her in the eye. "It was an accident, no one was hurt, just a few broken dishes and a dirty shirt. Nothing important, it happens all the time." He assured.

"Are you going to make my Dad pay for them? We don't have a lot of money Mikasa said quietly.

"Mikasa." Levi hissed, avoiding the beautiful man's eyes as they glanced over to him. It was true they had never had much money, but he had been working in his new job for a couple years now and they had been doing much better. They weren't going to be vacationing down south any time soon, but at least they didn't have to worry about their next meal anymore.

"No of course not! Are we good now?" He asked with a smile and she nodded lightly.

"Good. By the way I'm Eren. Mikasa right?" He asked and she nodded again.

"It's nice to officially meet you Mikasa and Mikasa's Dad, I know I've served you a bunch of times before but we've never introduced ourselves." Eren smiled.

"Levi." Mikasa said quietly.

"Pardon?" Eren asked, leaning closer to hear her.

"My Dad's name is Levi." Mikasa repeated.

"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you Levi." Eren said, turning his radiant smile towards him.

"Um. Mikasa. Why don't you tell Eren what you would like to order." Levi said, clearing his throat and looking away.

"Yes! I've taken so much of your time, you must be starving! What can I get you?" Eren said, standing up and taking out his ordering pad.

"Safari Buddies and Jungle Juice please." Mikasa said politely.

"And I suppose you want that with a side of steamed broccoli?" Eren grinned as Mikasa wrinkled her nose. "How about some Curly Fries instead?" He countered with a laugh.

"Side salad?" She asked timidly.

"Side—really?" Eren asked, looking at Levi surprised. 

"Kid loves salad." Levi said with a shrug.

"Okay then." Eren chuckled, "And for you Levi?" He asked.

"Chicken Quesadilla with a greek side salad. Water's fine. Thank you." Levi said, closing his menu and passing it over to Eren with a small smile.

"Good choice, coming right up." Eren said, flipping it under his arm and heading toward the kitchen with a wave, Levi couldn't help to stare at those long tan legs as he walked away.

"Greek salad give you garlic breath." Mikasa said, grabbing Levi's attention as he looked over at her with a glare.

"So? I'm not kissing anyone." He said childishly.

"Not yet." Mikasa smirked as she grabbed her crayons and began drawing on the paper placemat. Levi rolled his eyes before grabbing a crayon and drawing on the other corner of it with her.

They were drawing and talking together, having a bit of fun for a few minutes until Eren came out carrying a tray of food for the table next to them.

"Pssst." Eren said, ducking his head into their booth after unloading the other plates. "It's my turn to feed the fish, want to help?" He whispered, pulling a small can out of his pocket. 

Mikasa's eyes lit up as she looked over to Levi, almost bouncing in excitement.

"Go on." Levi smiled, crossing his arms over the table and watching Mikasa scramble out of the booth and follow Eren to the fish tank. He picked her up under her arms and lifted her onto the wooden ledge around it, holding her steady as he opened the top and showed her how to feed them properly.

Levi found himself smiling. He had had a bit of a crush on this boy for a while now, he had no idea he was so sweet and caring; it was definitely not doing good things to his heart.

He wasn't going to think about it though, wasn't going to think about how creepy it was for a 31 year old man to be crushing on some kid who was probably no more than sixteen. 

He was a dirty old man.

"How was it?" Levi asked when Mikasa plopped back down in the booth with a smile on her face.

"Great, they all swam over and were fighting over the food. Eren is really nice." She said, sipping her juice. 

"He does seem so." Levi smiled, just as Eren came back with their food.

"Hey guys, here are your meals." Eren said with a smile. "Mikasa, you're really great at feeding the fish, maybe it can be your official job when you come here." He winked, making her blush as she picked up her fork.

"Thank you Eren." Levi said with a smile.

"No problem, I'll be back in a but to check on you two. Enjoy your meals." Eren said, eyes lingering on Levi for a moment before leaving them alone.

"You should go for it." Mikasa said innocently as she filled her fork up with lettuce before stabbing a crouton and looking up at her father.

"W-what?" Levi asked, choking on his water. "I will not be going for anything!" He said, clutching his chest.

"Too bad, he seems to like you." Mikasa shrugged.

"Mikasa." Levi used his stern voice. "I do not need my nine year old daughter telling me who I should make a move on." He said

"Okay." Mikasa nodded, digging into her meal before they turned their conversation away from the subject of Eren and talking about school; what she was doing for class, what was happening with her friends, how annoying the boy who had a crush on her was doing.

They had a nice dinner together before Eren brought them the bill and lead him up to the bar to pay while Mikasa dug through the treasure box.

"It was really nice getting to know guys today." Eren said, putting the information into the computer before handing the debit machine over to Levi.

"Yeah, you too." Levi smiled.

"I really hope to see you two again sometime. Mikasa is a really great kid." Eren said, looking down almost shyly.

"This is Mikasa's favorite restaurant. We don't go anywhere else." Levi chuckled.

"Good, then I'll see you next time." Eren smiled, handing him his receipt.

"Thanks." Levi smiled before heading to the door, Mikasa following closely behind and waving at Eren before they left.

They went about their life like normal; Levi stressing himself out over work while trying to spend as much time with Mikasa as possible. 

She was very low maintenance for a child; she rarely asked for anything, she never complained, as long as Levi made sure she had all of her meals and some clean clothes she was good to go.

That's why Levi was so happy to be able to give her a fish tank for her birthday. He couldn't get anything as big as what they had at the restaurant, but he had enough for a decent sized tank with some decorations and a few exotic fish.

The only problem was, he had no idea what he was even looking for...

It was Mikasa's birthday, Levi had taken the day off work to get everything ready while she was in school. He decorated the house, set up the living room for her sleepover, picked up some snacks, and was now out looking for the best possible tank he could afford.

"Um... Levi, right?" A familiar voice drew him out of his thoughts, looking over in surprise to find Eren, standing awkwardly beside him.

"Eren!" Levi gasped, his voice a little louder and a little less manly that he wished it had been.

"You remembered!" Eren smiled happily, visibly relaxing and taking a step closer to Levi, eyes turning towards the tanks. 

"O-of course. You're Mikasa's favorite waiter." Levi said, hoping Eren couldn't see the blush that was probably reaching as far as his ears.

"Aww, well you guys are my favorite customers." Eren laughed. "You getting a fish tank?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.

"Yeah, today's Mikasa's birthday. She loves that fish tank in the restaurant so much I thought I'd get her one of her own, maybe some of those weird fish." Levi said.

"Oh yeah? That's so great!" Eren smiled.

Did this kid ever stop smiling? He was like the sun but twice as bright.

Levi wasn't complaining, the boy was absolutely stunning and Levi could stare at his smile for days.

"Yeah, I just have no idea what to get. Do you know anything about fish tanks?" Levi asked.

"I do actually! My parents have one and they get me to take care of the one at the restaurant. What's your price range?" Eren asked, taking them into a 45 minute conversation, an armful of accessories, and a reasonably sized fish tank.

"I feel I should give you commission." Levi smiled as Eren helped him bring his new purchases to his car.

"No! I had a lot of fun actually, plus I got the new fish for the restaurant." Eren smiled, holding up his bag with the large fish inside.

"Well thank you. I'd probably be staring at the tanks all night if you weren't there." Levi smiled, closing the trunk of his car and looking up at Eren with a smile.

"Nah! I'm sure your Wife would have come looking for you." Eren chuckled.

"Oh. Um, I'm not married." Levi said shyly.

"Oh no? No one special? No girlfriend... boyfriend?" Eren's voice faded into a mumble.

"N-no." Levi said quietly, avoiding eye contact, as they stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do in the tension.

"So... um... would you... what are you doing for Mikasa's birthday?" Eren asked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at his shoes.

"She's having a couple friends over, I'm taking them out for dinner, renting some movies, and they're sleeping in the living room." Levi explained.

"Wow, that sounds great! You seem like such a great Dad." Eren smiled.

"T-thanks. It's easy since she's a great kid." Levi said, feeling that pesky blush coming back.

"She is." Eren laughed. "I mean, I only know her from the restaurant, and I've only really spoken to her the one time, but I've waited on you guys a bunch of times, and she's so well behaved, and sweet, and cool. Sorry I'm rambling." He said, quieting down with a blush over his cheek.

"No, it's okay. She is great, I'm very lucky." Levi smiled. "So... are you working tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm heading there now actually. Are you eating there?" Eren asked.

"Of course, it's Mikasa's favorite place. We'll be there around 5. See you then?" Levi asked.

"Yes! I'll tell Armin to put you in my section. Armin's working the door tonight, he's the little blond guy, you've probably seen. We've been friends since we were kids." Eren rambled.

"The  _little_  blond guy who is taller than me." Levi raised a brow and watched the color drain from Eren's face.

"I-I! I didn't... you're not... oh my god." Eren stammered before Levi's face broke into a grin.

"It's okay. Everyone is taller than me." Levi chuckled and Eren sighed in relief. "Do you need a ride anywhere?" Levi asked, though he was unsure how well he'd manage to sit in an enclosed car beside the beautiful man.

"No, no. My car is over there. But thank you. I'll see you later?" Eren asked with a bashful smile.

"Yeah. See you later." Levi smiled, getting into his car, waving at Eren before driving off to set up Mikasa's fish tank before she got home from school.

Levi picked up Mikasa at school, along with her two friends; Annie, a tiny blond girl with a stoic face that Mikasa had been best friends with since Kindergarten, and Isabel, a red head with large green eyes and a smile to match, who was in the Mikasa's class for the first time this year.

They piled into the car and Levi drove them around to their houses to pick up things for the sleepover before heading home.

"You live in the basement?" Isabel asked as they parked in the small driveway on the side of the house. 

Levi tensed up as he climbed out of the car; living in a basement apartment wasn't very lavish, one of his biggest fears was that kids would pick on Mikasa because he didn't make much money or that they didn't live in a big house.

"Yes." Mikasa said simply, grabbing her bookbag and getting out of the car.

"That is so cool!" Isabel shouted, running towards the steps leading down to the entrance.

Levi sighed quietly in relief before opening the door and leading the three inside.

"Wow!" Isabel yelled, running around the small apartment.

"She's excitable." Levi whispered, with a smile.

"She's a lot of fun." Mikasa said, Annie nodding in agreement.

 

"You have a fish tank??" Isabel shouted, coming back into the hall with a manic grin.

"No I don't." Mikasa said, looking up at Levi with a confused look on her face, only for her eyes to widen as he grinned down at her.

"What??" She said, dashing towards the living room; Annie and Isabel on her tail.

"Dad! You got me a fish tank?" Mikasa exclaimed as Levi followed them into the living room. 

"I did." Levi laughed as Mikasa wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do you like it?" He asked, getting only a strong nod out of her.

"It's cool!" Annie smiled, leaning in to look at it.

"Hey, we have the same sunken pirate ship in the one at my house!" Isabel said excitedly.

The girls marveled at Mikasa's new fish tank; coming up with names for the fish Levi had bought, discussing accessories they needed to add, and listing off more fish to put in it. 

They were at it until it was time to get ready for dinner. The restaurant was not fancy in the slightest, Mikasa knew this as well as Levi did, that did not however, stop the three girls from dressing up to go there.

They raided Mikasa's closet for her special occasion dresses, the ones Hange always bought for her when she took the two to Costco. Thought she didn't say anything about it, Mikasa did enjoy dressing up pretty once in a while.

She rarely had more than one fancy dress at a time, though luckily with Annie being so petite, she was able to fit in one of Mikasa's from the year before.

Levi helped with buttons, found matching cardigans, he did all of their hair, and even found some shimmery lip gloss for them all to wear before escorting the three of them back to the car.

"Hey! My brother works here!" Isabel said, bouncing in her seat as Levi pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, this girl was so full of energy, Levi was going to be exhausted by the time she went home the next day. He couldn't bring himself to mind, seeing how nice she was to Mikasa and how much fun they all seemed to be having.

"They have a giant fish tank here. They let me feed the fish last time." Mikasa smiled as they headed in.

"Hi, table for four?" Levi asked the blond host, Armin, as Eren had explained to him earlier.

"Sure." Armin said with a big grin, before his eyes landed on the girls. "Isabel! I didn't know you were coming." He laughed.

"Armin!" Isabel jumped up to hug him. "It's my friend Kasa's birthday!" She explained happily.

"I heard!" Armin grinned. "Well don't you three look gorgeous! I have a special table for you right this way." He said, grabbing the menus and leading them to a booth in the far corner of the restaurant.

Levi's eyes widened as he saw it; the balloons tied to the table, the 'Happy Birthday' banner, and the plastic birthday girl tiara laying on the table. 

"How... what is.... huh?" He stammered.

"Mikasa! Levi!" Eren called out with a smile, heading towards them. "Izzy?" He added quizzically.

"Eren!" Isabel ran towards him, jumping into his arms.

"You know Kasa?" She asked.

"I do! She and her dad are my favorite customers!" Eren said smiling at Mikasa, who blushed shyly.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" She asked as he put Isabel down and the four slid into their booth.

"Well I ran into your dad earlier today and he told me. Thought I'd make it extra special for you." Eren said, eyes glancing to Levi.

"Eren, you really didn't..." Levi began but Eren waved him off.

"It was nothing, I wanted to." He smiled. "Now put on your crown and tell me what you all want to drink!" He said happily.

The evening was amazing; Eren treated them like royalty and Mikasa loved it. Levi could tell she absolutely adored the young man, and he couldn't help but adore him himself.

In the short time Levi had actually known him, he had done so much for them. He was sweet, caring, he was great with Mikasa, his sister absolutely loved him too, so obviously it wasn't all just for show.

And to top everything else off, he was so beautiful Levi wanted to cry; his sparking eyes, his perfectly straight teeth, and soft brown hair. 

Levi wanted to run his fingers through those shaggy brown locks, maybe fist his hands in it as Eren devoured him with his full pink lips, his large hands gripping Levi's thighs and hoisting him up, maybe slamming him against a wall as they explored.... and he was sitting in a booth with three fourth graders...

He had to snap out of it. He had to stop imagining dirty scenarios with Eren, he had to stop staring at his ass! No matter how delectable it looked in those short shorts. 

Wasn't that the women's uniform? Was he allowed to do that? Shouldn't it be illegal to look that good while serving food? His long creamy legs, built with lean muscles and a very light natural tan, his hard chest and abs underneath the loose t-shirt.

Fuck, he was doing it again.

Focus! Mikasa, Mikasa's friends, birthday, food. Get through this evening and he could fantasize about Eren all he wanted after the girls went to bed.

Once they had finished their meal, all of the servers came out with the customary piece of ice cream cake and their birthday song for Mikasa, who turned a deep shade of red but smiled gratefully.

"Um, Eren. I think my bill is wrong." Levi said after meeting Eren at the bar to pay for the meal. "You only charged me for one regular meal and one child meal." He added, sliding the paper over to Eren.

"No that's right. Isabel's my sister, I give her free dinner whenever she comes in anyway, and it's Mikasa's birthday, why not have it on the house? I mean, you deserve it." Eren smiled sheepishly.

Levi didn't know what to say, he just stared at Eren for a moment, probably with his mouth hanging open unattractively before nodding. "Thank you." He said quietly, passing Eren his debit card.

"Don't mention it." Eren said happily.

"For everything, I mean. This was unexpected and amazing, and you didn't have to do any of it, but you made Mikasa feel like a princess. So thank you." Levi smiled.

"A-anything for my favorite customers." Eren said bashfully as the girls came up to meet Levi.

"Ready to go?" Levi asked and they nodded.

"Thank you Eren." Mikasa said, stepping up to him as he knelt down to her level.

"Any time Princess." He grinned before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye big bro!" Isabel called out, waving excitedly.

"See ya Izzy. Be good for Levi!" Eren said sternly before they made their way out of the restaurant and back home.

"So is Eren going to be your step-dad?" Annie asked as they sat around the kitchen table, eating Mikasa's birthday cake.

Levi felt himself choke on his mouthful of tea, banging on his chest to get some air.

"Probably." Mikasa said simply, Levi continued to hack up the tea in his lungs.

"Really? That would be so cool! We'll be like family!" Isabel shouted happily.

"What about me?" Annie asked quietly.

"Well you two are getting married, duh!" Isabel rolled her eyes as the two girls shrugged and nodded.

"Okay!" Levi rasped out. "No one is getting married! Not right now!" He said, his throat raw from the battle for his life.

"Obviously not. You and Eren should date for a while first." Mikasa said simply.

"Mika!" Levi exclaimed, looking over to Isabel who was grinning. "Now don't you go telling him any of this, got it? It's not true, he doesn't need to know." He demanded of the red head.

"Okay." She said, though her grin didn't waver.

Levi was exhausted by the time the movies were over, all the teeth were brushed, pajamas on, and lights turned out.

He collapsed on his bed and tried to think about the day he had.

His hour spent with Eren in the pet store felt like weeks ago, so much had happened in just a few hours and he had no idea how to handle any of it.

He had a crush on a kid who was way too young for him, not to mention his sister was friends with Mikasa. How did he have a nine year old sister? He would have to be pretty young for that to even make sense. 

Maybe he actually was 16... Levi had only thought that when he had been exaggerating how bad of an idea it was to be crushing on him, but what if it wasn't an exaggeration? What if the kid was 16 years old? What if Levi had been fantasizing about an underage kid for the past few months?

Oh my god, he was going to jail. 

He wasn't going to think about it. 

No one knew he had a crush on the younger man, there was no proof. He'd just deny it. He wasn't staring at Eren's ass all night, he simply zoned out, and maybe Eren's ass had gotten into his zoning view, that doesn't mean he had been looking for it.

So they talked, he was a waiter at a restaurant that Levi frequented. Levi spoke to a lot of people, that didn't mean he was flirting with them. Just because he stumbled over his words and blushed around the young man, didn't mean he liked him! Levi was awkward, he didn't do well in social settings.

He was an accountant for fuck sakes! If he was good with people he'd probably be in real estate, or marketing, or somewhere that he had to deal with a lot of people.

 

He was going to be fiiiine.

He didn't get much sleep that night; tossing and turning until it was time to get up and start on the pancakes for the girls' breakfast.

He made it through breakfast, dishes, cleaning up the living room, even one of their movies before they took off into Mikasa's room and he began dozing on the couch.

He was woken up by a knock on the door.

"Wow, you look tired." Eren smiled when Levi opened the door. 

Levi's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight before him; Eren, dressed in simple jeans and a hoodie, looking stunning with his windswept hair and bright eyes.

"Oh. I... uh... I didn't sleep much." He said, stepping aside to let Eren into the apartment.

"I bet with three little girls running around." Eren laughed.

"Oh, they were fine. Just had a lot on my mind." Levi dismissed, closing the door behind them. "Isabel, your brother is here." He called down the hall.

"Awww, I don't want to go yet!" Isabel whined, poking her head out of the bedroom.

"You can come back any time you want." Levi offered.

"You know, she could stay a bit longer... if you don't mind. I could hang out here with you... or I could leave and come back." He added hastily, hearing Isabel 'yippee' in the background and dash back into the bedroom.

"Oh, well. If you don't mind, you're welcome to stay." Levi said, leading him into the living room to sit down. "Would you like some tea? Coffee? Water?" He asked.

"No, I'm good. Thank you." Eren smiled, sitting on the other end of the couch.

"So... how was work?" Levi asked, kicking himself for his horrible ability to small talk.

"It was good! Less exciting after you guys left." Eren said, nodding awkwardly and sitting with his hands on his knees.

"Did you do anything fun after?" Levi asked.

"Not really, went home and studied for a while, got midterms soon." Eren said.

"Oh cool. What are you taking?" Levi asked.

"Education. I want to teach Elementary school." Eren explained.

"Oh wow, you'd be great at that." Levi said.

"You think so?" Eren smiled, visibly loosening up.

"Yeah, you're so great with kids, you'll be an amazing teacher." Levi smiled.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren said, shifting in his seat so he was facing Levi, his arm resting over the back of the couch. "What do you do?" He asked.

"I'm an accountant." Levi said shyly, he knew it sounded boring, which in turn made him sound boring as well.

"That's cool! You must be great with numbers!" Eren exclaimed and Levi felt the heat coming to his face.

"I-I guess..." He said shyly.

"This is a really nice place." Eren said, glancing around the room.

"It's okay. Your place is probably better..." Levi said, hoping his rooting for information was subtle.

"I live with my parents actually." He said, looking down at his hands.

"O-oh." Levi said, his stomach dropping, there was no way Eren was old enough for him.

"I know, pretty lame huh? 21 years old and living in my parents' house. But it's the best way to save money! I live in the city so dorms are out of the question, apartments are expensive, I only work part time. I do have my own car, but it's old and cheap, I'm trying to save money for when I graduate... you probably think I'm a child don't you..." He explained, looking tense and ready for a blow.

"No! I think it's great. Saving money is good! Plus you don't have to worry about everything and you can focus on school. Very mature move." Levi said, watching Eren's lips stretch into a large grin.

"Thanks!" He said happily.

"So... you and Isabel. Quite the jump there." Levi said, feeling absolutely stupid, but also elated since ten years was still quite a substantial age gap, but at least he wasn't a complete creeper.

"Yeah, I was a teenage pregnancy, my mom had me at sixteen. My parents are still together, but they waited until Mom finished college before they got married and Dad was just about finished med school when they had Izzy." Eren explained.

"Wow, it's nice to see teenage pregnancy stories ending like that." Levi smiled.

"What about you? You must have been young when Mikasa was born." Eren asked.

"I was twenty one." Levi said, looking away. Most people assumed he was younger than he was, he hoped Eren wasn't turned off by his age... not that Eren was in to him anyway... but it's the little things.

"Really? I thought you were like 25 now!" Eren exclaimed.

"Yeah I get that a lot..." Levi said shyly.

"So where is Mikasa's mother? Were you two married?" Eren asked.

"No." Levi shook his head. "We were... never really together. It was a college party, there was alcohol, my friends pestering me with 'how do you know you don't like women if you've never been with one'." Levi explained, not daring to look at Eren's face.

"All in all, it was a bad night, though I got Mikasa so I don't regret it. Her mother on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with her and it's been just me and her ever since." He continued.

"Wow. You're even more amazing than I thought." Eren said, surprising Levi with his smile.

Levi felt his cheeks heat up once more as he mumbled a 'thanks', honestly Eren must think he had blood pressure issues by now.

"So... did you figure out if you were into girls?" Eren asked shyly after a moment or two of awkward silence.

"Um... No... not even a little bit." Levi said quietly. "That's not... a problem is it?" He asked hesitantly.

"What? No! Of course not! My parents are cool with it too if you're worried about Isabel and Mikasa being friends. I'm bisexual though with a stronger preference for men, so their used to it." Eren explained, looking into Levi's eyes with a smile that made his heart somersault in his chest.

"G-good. I wouldn't want something like t-that to stand in the way of their friendship." Levi stammered.

"Yeah, that would be bad." Eren nodded, eyes fixated on Levi's. Levi losing himself in the intensity and beauty of them.

"Would you like to watch a movie?" He asked suddenly, breaking himself away from his trance. "We don't have any channels, but we do have Netflix." He said.

"Yes! That would be great!" Eren smiled, shifting back toward the tv as Levi turned it on and they skimmed through Netflix.

They ended up picking some light comedy to watch as they sat in awkward silence, or at least Levi felt awkward, for all he knew Eren was fine, sitting there silently and watching some terrible movie.

Levi was stressing himself out, he kept glancing over to Eren who was focused happily on the movie. Way too much time had passed without speaking, it would be weird now to say something.

Levi was the absolute worst!

No wonder he was still single at thirty one years old, it had nothing to do with the fact that he had Mikasa and little to no time to actually date, it was because he was awkward, and weird, and sat in tense silence for inappropriate amounts of time.

He hadn't even realized he had dozed off until three giggling girls startled him awake. His eyes snapped open and landed on the three of them crowded around the new fish tank, Mikasa with the container of fish food in her hand, and everything was sideways.

That's when he realized he was laying down on the couch, his head supported on something firm and warm, and something scratching at his scalp lightly.

He sat upright abruptly, his head spinning lightly as he looked around, feeling the blood drain from his face when he finally noticed Eren's smiling face a lot closer to him than he was expecting. 

   
"Hi, did you sleep well?" Eren asked.

"I-I... um... I'm sorry... I-" Levi stammered.

"No, it's okay... nice actually." Eren added the last part quietly.

"How long was I out?" Levi asked.

"About 90 minutes. You were drifting for a few before that but I'm only counting from when you slumped over." Eren grinned and Levi felt the blood coming back and heating up his face.

"O-oh. Shit, I need to make lunch. Girls, are you hungry?" Levi asked, moving to stand up and drawing their attention away from the fish.

"We already ate. Eren made tomato soup and grilled cheese." Mikasa said, giving her father a smirk.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind. You seemed so tired." Eren smiled shyly.

"Oh, no of course not. That was really nice of you, thanks." Levi said, looking into Eren's eyes as he stared back for a moment longer than necessary before shaking his head and jumping off the couch.

"Alright Iz, we gotta get going. I'm working again tonight and I have to get ready." He said.

"Ugh, fiiiine." Isabel groaned, heading back to the bedroom to get her things.

"Come back any time Isabel, we really enjoyed having you." Levi said.

"Thank you, Mr. Ackerman" Isabel smiled, jumping into him and hugging him around the middle as he smiled, hugging her back before she moved over to Mikasa and Annie to say goodbye.

"Well I hope you had a great birthday Mikasa." Eren said, pulling on his coat.

"I did, thank you." Mikasa smiled.

"Sorry I didn't get you a present." Eren said, kneeling in front of her.

"You did enough!" Mikasa insisted.

"Hey, do you like this?" Eren asked taking off his scarf as Levi watched her eyes light up. Red was always Mikasa's favorite color and she never did get a new scarf after she lost the last one she had.

"T-thank you." She whispered as he wrapped it around her neck.

"Of course." Eren smiled as Mikasa threw her arms around him for a hug and whispering in his ear.

"Yeah?" Eren asked quietly when he pulled away and she nodded. "I'll definitely see what I can do." He added with a smile, standing up and looking at Levi.

"This had been nice, thanks for having her over. We should... um... we should do this again sometime." Eren said, taking a step closer to the older man and holding out a hand.

"Y-yes. That would be nice." Levi said, shaking Eren's hand shyly.

Levi drove Annie home a little while later, then he and Mikasa spent the rest of the day together. They went to the park, ran to the store, and then he took her out for ice cream.

"So you like Eren." Mikasa said as she picked at their shared sundae, it wasn't a question, or an accusation, she was merely stating a fact.

"W-what?" Levi asked, gulping painfully.

"He likes you too." She said simply and he stared at her with wide eyes, unable to speak.

"It's okay." She shrugged.

"W...what is?" He asked, somewhat confused and bewildered. Not every day your newly ten year old calls you out like this.

"That you like him." Mikasa said, looking up at him.

"Oh. Well. Thank you, but nothing is going to happen between Eren and I." Levi said gently.

"Why not?" Mikasa frowned.

"Well. He... and I... there are a lot of reasons." Levi said.

"Like?" Mikasa raised a brow.

"He's so much younger than me, and... and... Things you wouldn't understand." Levi mumbled.

"Okay." Mikasa said with a very obvious eye roll and small smirk as she took another bite of ice cream.

Levi tried not to think about Eren for the rest of the weekend; he busied himself with cleaning the apartment, helping Mikasa with her science project, and writing out her Valentine's for her classmates.

He tried not to think of Eren's beautiful smile, or his adorable blush. The way his eyes would light up when he saw Levi, or the tender look her had when he spoke to Mikasa. The way he smelled up close or the feeling of his fingers running through his hair as he napped beside him.

He tried not to wonder what it would be like to be with Eren. To have him there with him every day; to hug him and kiss him whenever he wanted, to feel his hands move over his skin as their bodies moved together sensually...

He really needed to stop thinking about that.

At least he wasn't in public, surrounded by three little girls.

At least right now Mikasa was asleep in her bed and he was in the safety of his own bedroom, where he could have these thoughts without feeling guilty.

He didn't have to feel guilty about lusting after a much younger man, a man whose eyes made him swoon, whose smile made his heart race, and whose muscular thighs made him drool.

He didn't have to feel guilty about imagining said younger man dancing slowing before him as he slipped his khaki shorts down his creamy thighs. Imagining him throwing a leg over Levi's lap as the smaller man's hands ran over the hard, defined muscles of his chest.

He really was a sick old man, imagining Eren's hand as his own as it trailed down his chest, brushing over a nipple before sliding down to grasp at his aching erection.

He moaned Eren's name as he stoked himself, shoving his face into his pillow to muffle the sound. He knew it was wrong, not even because Eren was so young, but because he barely knew him yet he couldn't help it; picturing Eren in his mind turned him on beyond belief, imagining his fingers were his as they teased his entrance or squeezed his cock.

Just the image of Eren's eyes dark with arousal, his lips parted, and his cheeks flushed as they made love to each other; it gave Levi the strongest orgasm he had ever experienced.

He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror after taking a quick shower to clean himself off. Who was he kidding? Eren couldn't like him that way, despite what Mikasa thought was true. He was short, he was petite, he had a permanent scowl. He was awkward and didn't know how to carry on a conversation with anyone above the age of ten, he stammered and blushed, he tripped over his words.

Not to mention he had a ten year old daughter and practically no social life, he spent most of his free time at home with Mikasa, taking time for himself only after she went to sleep for the night. 

Eren was just an exceptionally nice guy, who had taken a liking to the two of them, that didn't mean he had anything more than platonic feelings toward Levi.

Even if Eren did feel something for him, Levi couldn't expect him to be okay with Levi's lifestyle. Eren was so young; he was in college, he was incredibly attractive, he probably liked to go out partying and drinking with his friends on the weekends, and who could blame him? There's no way he would want to be with a man ten years older than him whose idea of a fun Friday night was breaking out the Swiffer and cleaning the top of the cupboards.

He sighed heavily before turning off the light and heading to bed with the plan to not think about Eren anymore. He was just the older brother of one of Mikasa's friends and a server at a restaurant they frequented. He was a nice person, easy to talk to but that was it, Levi's thoughts would go no farther than that.

At least he wouldn't admit that it went any farther than that.

He went about his business like normal; cleaning the house on Sunday, watching a couple movies with Mikasa that afternoon, packing her lunch for the next day, and getting everything ready for the new week.

Petra had decorated the Office Monday morning before Levi had come in; there were hearts and fake flowers everywhere, it looked like cupid ad thrown up on the front desk.

She laughed when he grimaced as she pinned a fake rose onto his shirt, before heading down to his desk to work away.

He managed to keep himself busy enough to not even think about Eren, at least for most of the day. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have someone for Valentine's day as he listened to Petra gush about her fiancé and their romantic plans for the next evening to Hannah in HR.

He promptly shook the thought out of his head, motioning for Mikasa to pack up her things so they could head home. 

"Wow, 4:35." She smirked, pulling on her coat and her new red scarf as they headed through the door.

"Yeah well, I'm not always late." Levi rolled his eyes, unlocking the car door with the button.

"Okay." She laughed lightly, climbing in so they could head home.

Levi was cooking breakfast for dinner, one of their favorites, when he heard the phone ring. His eyes widened and he almost dropped the spatula in his scrambled eggs as the caller ID showed 'JAEGAR, G.'.

"H-hello?" He asked, but the line was silent. "Hello?" He asked again but the line clicked as the call ended.

He stared at the phone for a moment before turning back to his eggs, saving them from the near burn as he placed them on the unused burner behind and turned to flip the turkey bacon. As the phone rang again.

It was Jaeger, G again.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hi Mr. Ackerman!! Sorry I called a minute ago but the phone stopped working. Can I talk to Mikasa?" Isabel's excited voice nearly shouted from the other end.

Of course it had been Isabel, why would Levi had thought any different.

"Don't worry about it Isabel, just a moment please." Levi chuckled into the phone before covering the mouth piece with his shoulder and calling Mikasa in from the Living room.

"Hi Isabel." Mikasa said, answering the phone. "Sure!" She added a moment later with a grin on her face as she sat down to the table.

"Yeah I wasn't home earlier, I usually go to my Dad's work after school.... yeah he works at 'Smith Shadis and Dok'.... yeah I'll be there tomorrow too.... usually around 5.... that would be great!" Mikasa seemed to be having a great conversation, judging by the smile on her face as she spoke to Isabel. Levi was glad she was making new friends.

She spoke to Isabel until dinner was ready, then it was bath time, a little tv, and off to bed after picking out the perfect valentine's day outfit for the next day.

Levi had never been against Valentine's day; he didn't hate everyone in a relationship just because he was single, though it would be nice to have a date for Valentine's day once. Maybe in a few years when Mikasa was older and didn't need a babysitter for him to go out, maybe he'd try to meet someone, or finally cave and let Hange set him up with someone.

Until then, he would continue his romantic Valentine's day dinners with Mikasa; candles on the table, heart shaped strawberries for dessert, she was all he needed.

"Accounts Payable." Levi said answering his desk phone

"Levi, can you come up here for a minute?" Petra asked, her voice almost giddy.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be right there." He said, finishing the entry he was doing before heading up to the front desk.

"Wow, nice flowers Petra. Are they from Oluo" Levi smiled seeing the bouquet of mixed red, pink, and white flowers on the reception desk

"Oh no, they're not for me." Petra grinned as Levi gave her a confused look and she waved him towards the bouquet.

He picked up the card and his eyes nearly popped out of his head at the messy words written there.

_"Levi, you are as beautiful on the inside as you are out."_

"W-who is it from?" Levi asked, looking at Petra's smiling face.

"I don't know. They were delivered and they didn't give a name. Looks like you have a secret admirer!" She gushed.

"N-no I don't..." Levi said, feeling the blush burning his cheeks

"I dunno." Petra giggled. "Take them down to your desk, maybe who ever sent them will give you another hint." She said.

He nodded in bewilderment, taking the flowers and heading back to his desk.

He was pretty much useless for the rest of the day; stammering whenever someone would ask about the flowers, blush when they gave him that knowing smile. He found himself day dreaming and wracking hsi brain for who could possibly give him flowers.

He knew who he wanted it to be, but that was impossible and he forced himself not to complete the thought.

He ended up leaving work early, going to pick Mikasa up at school.

"Who are the flowers from?" Mikasa smirked.

"I'm not sure. They didn't leave a name." Levi said, getting only a nod from her as she looked at the window for the rest of the drive.

She didn't mention the flowers again but she did seem to be in a good mood all afternoon, running to the door when someone knocked a few minutes to five.

"Aunt Hange, you're early!" Mikasa hissed before Levi came up behind her to find his best friend at the door, which was weird since she lived over two hours away.

"Hange? What are you doing here?" Levi asked in surprise.

"Oh. I just..." She said, looking down at Mikasa who was shaking her head. "I just wanted to see my favorite people! I missed you!" She exclaimed, coming in and throwing her arms around Levi.

"It's great to see you Hange, you should have called, we could have done something special." Levi said, hugging her back.

"Oh I wanted it to be a surprise!" She smiled, leading them in through the apartment.

"Aunt Hange, look at the flowers Dad got from a secret admirer." Mikasa grinned, following them to the kitchen where the flowers were in the middle of the table.

"Wow! They're beautiful!" Hange grinned, nudging Levi in the side.

"It's nothing. Probably a joke." Levi said shaking his head. "What do you want for dinner? I can make burgers." He suggested before hearing another knock on the door.

"My my, you are popular today." Hange chuckled. Levi gave her a weird look of confusion before heading to the door.

"Eren!" He gasped, his eyes wide as a nervous looking Eren stood on his step, holding a single pink carnation and a heart shaped box of chocolates.

"H-hi Levi." Eren said, a smile stretching over his face as he shifted his weight between his feet.

"What are you--- come in!" Levi said, stepping out of the way so Eren could step inside. 

Eren took a deep breath, following him in before staring into his eyes. He was fidgety and nervous, and completely adorable.

"I... um... here." He said, holding out the box of chocolates for Levi.

"T-thank you." Levi stammered, very confused as to why Eren was here.

"Oh my god, they're such dorks!" Hange whispered loudly, drawing their attention to Hange and Mikasa's head poking out of the kitchen.

"Excuse me?" Levi said, glaring at them both.

"Oh come on and kiss already!" Mikasa shouted with a grin.

"I-I'm sorry. S-she's not usually like this." Levi said, feeling the blush in his cheeks as he looked up at Eren.

"I like you!" Eren blurted, his face as red as Levi's felt. "I've liked you since the first time I served you at the restaurant! I wanted to talk to you so bad but I had nothing to say, but now that I have and I've gotten to know you a little.... I like you even more! I want to know everything about you! I came to ask you out for Valentine's day and I would be so happy if you agreed." He rambled.

Levi stared at him. He didn't know what to say. Was he dreaming? Did he come up with all of this in his head? He couldn't deny that he had been thinking about it. Hell he had been thinking about Eren for the past year or more, but the last few weeks had the younger man on his mind almost constantly.

Could this be real?

He realized he hadn't said anything in a full minute; Eren looked like he was going to be sick, Hange had tears sparkling in her eyes, and Mikasa had the biggest smile Levi had ever seen on her face.

"I-I... you sent the flowers?" He asked suddenly, the fact just hitting him.

"I did. Was that okay?" Eren asked nervously.

"Yes! They're beautiful, thank you." Levi said, watching relief fill Eren's face and he relaxed slightly.

"Not as beautiful as you." He said quietly as Levi's face burst into flames, or at least that's how it felt.

"Y-you want to go out with me?" Levi asked quietly.

"More than anything." Eren said, bravely taking Levi's hand in his own.

"I-I don't have a bab---" Levi stopped himself as he eyes Hange and Mikasa.

"I do have a babysitter...." he countered. "You! You did this! You set everything up!" he pointed at his daughter.

"I just told him where you worked and called Hange. It was his idea." Mikasa said.

"You called yesterday?" Levi turned back to Eren.

"I did. I hoped Mikasa would pick up, then I panicked and got Isabel to call back." Eren admitted shyly.

"Levi! Answer the man! He's dying over there, can't you tell?" Hange exclaimed.

"Yes! I'll go out with you." Levi said, watching Eren's face light up with his smile.

"Great!" He said, bringing Levi's hand up to his lips to kiss it.

"L-let me go change." Levi stammered, dashing to the bedroom.

"Thank you for your help Mikasa, this is for you." Eren said as Levi was coming back out, watching Eren give her the flower.

"Your welcome. Be good to my Dad please." She said, giving him a hug.

"Yes, Levi deserves the best, it you hurt him in any way I will kill you!" Hange said dangerously.

"I will do my best." Eren smiled, his eyes landing on Levi as he walked into the room. "You look great." He said.

"Thank you." Levi said shyly before turning to Hange. "It's a school night, don't let her stay up too late." He demanded.

"Go have fun!!" Hange yelled, her arms around Mikasa as they both smiled with giddiness.

"We are going to talk later." Levi whispered as he bent down to kiss her goodbye.

Eren brought him to his car parked on the curb, opening the door for Levi and then taking him to a restaurant where he had made reservations for the two.

"Sorry it's not that fancy, short notice Valentine's day reservations and well, I have a budget." Eren said nervously as they were seated in a booth by the window.

"No, this is great! The only restaurant I ever go to is the one you work at, and I can pay for myself." Levi smiled.

"Definitely not! I've been hoping for this date for months, I am going to do it right!" Eren said.

"Oh. Well, it's very nice so far. My only dates are with Mikasa." Levi chuckled nervously.

"I hope I can measure up." Eren smiled.

"So far." Levi said, this time making Eren blush through his grin.

The dinner was better than Levi thought, he was actually carrying on a conversation with the younger man, he hadn't done anything overly embarrassing, and he was having such a great time.

"I'm having a really great time." Eren said as they got back into his car after dinner.

"Me too." Levi smiled.

"Do you want need to get home or are you available for a little while longer?" Eren asked.

"I-I'm good. Hange will spend the night." Levi said shyly.

"Good. I know a good place to talk." Eren smiled, pulling the car out of the parking lot and driving down the street.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Levi whispered when Eren parked in the historical site on top of the mountain, looking out over the entire city.

"It is, it's one of my favorite places." Eren smiled, reaching over to take Levi's hand.

"D-do you take a lot of people up here?" Levi asked quietly.

"I have taken people up here, but to be honest I haven't dated that many people." Eren said.

"You're still young." Levi said, looking out at the lights of the city.

"Well, I'm looking at the only one I want to bring here." Eren said.

Levi felt himself blush, honestly, he wasn’t sure how his face didn't have a permanent cast of red by now. Eren was smooth, he had been making Levi swoon the entire time they had been together, and he actually seemed to like Levi as much as Levi liked him back.

He was so young. How could he know what he was getting in to, trying to date a single father. While Levi wanted this more than he even realized he would, he was afraid Eren wouldn't be as invested in this as he would have been. 

What if he got bored after a month or two. What if Levi got attached and Eren just left. What if Mikasa got attached?

"Eren... um... can we talk." Levi asked, shifting in his seat to face the younger man.

"Uh oh..." Eren said, looking down at his hands.

"I really like you." Levi said, making Eren's head pop back up.

"Really?" He asked with a smile.

"I do. You're so sweet and this had been an amazing date." He began.

"But?" Eren asked sadly.

"But I'm ten years older than you. I'm boring, I'm awkward, I have no social life, and I have a child." Levi explained, surprised when Eren only chuckled.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"That's a lot!" Levi insisted and Eren shifted in his seat to face him.

"Okay, you are ten years older than me, which I did not realize until a few days ago but it didn't change how I feel about you. I've been having so much fun tonight, you are not boring at all! You are a little awkward but it is the most adorable thing I've even seen, I adore your child, and I don't have much of a social life myself." Eren explained, taking Levi's hands in his.

"You're so young, don’t you want to go hang out with your friends on the weekends? Go to college parties? I don't get babysitters often, I can't go out all the time and honestly I don't want to." Levi said.

"I don't either." Eren laughed. "I spend most of my time studying or working. I spend my free time with Armin usually, we have gone to a few parties but I kind of hate it. All I want is someone to sit around and watch tv with, to do nothing and enjoy each other's company. Like we did the other day." He explained.

"Really? I was so nervous the other day, I had no idea what to say." Levi said.

"That's because you're adorably awkward." Eren laughed. "I was nervous too, but then when you fell asleep on me... I just... I don't want anyone else." Eren said, his eyes showing nothing but pure honesty.

"R-really?" Levi whispered.

"I'd really like to kiss you." Eren whispered, leaning toward Levi slowly.

"I-I'd really like that." Levi said looking up into his eyes as Eren's hand found the back of his neck and pulled him into his soft lips.

The kiss was amazing. Levi hadn't kissed anyone in a long time, years even, but he didn't remember any of them feeling like this. 

It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, the way their lips melded together, the way Eren's fingers scratched at his undercut, the way Eren tasted like his after-dinner mint.

When he kissed him, he couldn't feel their large age gap, he didn't feel awkward or boring, Eren couldn't see his inability to look neutrally pleasant.

All there was, was the two of them and this moment, the best moment Levi could have imagined.

He felt himself being pulled over onto Eren's lap as the kiss deepened; Levi's fingers tangled in Eren's hair while Eren's hands ran over his sides and back.

"You're a great kisser." Levi whispered as Eren's lips moved down his chin and neck.

"It helps that you're so amazing... and sexy...and beautiful." Eren said between kisses, his hands slipping underneath Levi's shirt to explore his skin.

Levi gasped at the unfamiliar touch, it had been a long time since he had felt the touch of someone other than himself. He shifted on Eren's legs, trying to get in a better position for them both, yelping as his back pressed up against the car horn.

"S-sorry." He whispered as Eren dismissed it with a shake of his head and recapture of Levi's lips. 

Levi moaned into the kiss, trying to right himself in the small space of the front seat, blushing as he heard the horn gave a couple more short blares as he moved, his foot caught on the console, and he ended up bumping his forehead against Eren's nose.

"I'm sorry, I'm terrible." He groaned after Eren began to laugh loudly.

"No, no. It's fine." He said with a grin. "Would you like to move into the back seat?" He asked.

"Yeah, that would probably be best." Levi said, trying to hide the fire in his cheeks as he climbed into the back, Eren following closely behind.

 "Where were we?" Eren grinned, leaning in slowly to kiss Levi once more, the extra room allowing Eren to push him down onto his back across the seat.

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, moaning as Eren's hands ran up under his shirt once more. It had been such a long time since he made out in a car like this, and never with someone as beautiful as the man above him.

He was lost in the kiss, he couldn't believe the man he had been fantasizing about, the one who's ass had been a common visitor of his thoughts, and the one he had thought of nothing else since they had spoken weeks ago.

How did he manage this? How did he grab the attention of the beautiful server at his daughter's favorite restaurant, how did he get in the position of having the gorgeous man above him grinding his obvious arousal in to Levi's own.

That brought Levi out of his thoughts, this was happening too fast, he couldn't have sex in the back of Eren's car!

"E-eren. Stop. Please." He said, pushing the younger man away gently. 

Eren stiffen and his eyes widened, lifting his hips away from Levi instantly and sitting up against the door.

"I'm sorry! I went too far." He said, worry in his eyes.

"No, it wasn't just you. That was really nice... I just... it's too fast." Levi said shyly, sitting up on the other side of the backseat and looking at Eren with embarrassment.

"I really like you Eren." Levi added. "It's just been a really long time since I've done anything like this and... well... Mikasa really likes you." He said, not meeting his eyes.

"I really like her too." Eren chuckled.

"I know. But I don't want her to get attached if... if this doesn't work out." Levi explained, glancing up at Eren's who's smile softened and he shifted closer.

"I understand. But I want you to know, I'm not looking for just a fling. I've been crushing on you for a year, I think you are the most amazing person I've ever met, you're such a great dad, and Mikasa is an awesome kid. I am all in and I will go as slow as you need if you will just give me a chance." Eren explained, taking Levi's hands in his.

"If I need a glacial pace?" Levi mumbled shyly.

"I'll get my snowsuit." Eren grinned.

"You're cheesy." Levi chuckled.

"You like it?" Eren laughed.

"I do." Levi said, leaning up for another kiss.

"Good. How about I take you home now." Eren asked as they parted.

"Yes, that would be good." Levi said, giving him another peck before they climbed back into the front and Eren drove him home.

Eren parked on the street, getting out quickly to open Levi's door and walk him to his apartment.

"I had a great time tonight." He said, holding Levi's hand as they walked slowly up the driveway.

"Me too." Levi blushed, leaning his head on Eren's arm.

"So you'll give us a chance?" Eren asked, turning Levi to face him as they made it to the door.

"Yeah, we'll give it a chance." Levi smiled, looking up into Eren's big beautiful green eyes.

"Good. Can I call you tomorrow?" Eren asked with a smile.

"I'd like that." Levi whispered, stepping in closer as Eren's finger tilted his face up by his chin and leaned down to capture his lips in a soft kiss.

It was the beginning of something special, a Valentine's day to remember. It started with a fish tank and ended in nothing more than a kiss and a promise for something magical.

It wasn't until the next Valentine's Day that Eren surprised Levi with a ring...

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


End file.
